THE search was under way last night to
identify the loyal supporters who financed David
Irving's legal battle. The Jewish Board
of Deputies in London
believes[*]
that his main supporters are German Nazis who fled to
America after the Second World War and young neo-nazi white
supremacists living in the United States. The board last
night claimed that Mr Irving had raised at least £2
million, although he has denied repeatedly having more than
£315,000 in the coffers.

Although Mr Irving has refused to name his backers, it is
believed that funds have been received from some of the
4,000 supporters mentioned on his official website.

The historian is believed to have been funded by such
far-right groups as the National Alliance, based in Tampa,
Florida. It was mentioned during the trial that he had
spoken at eight fo the alliance's events between 1990 and
1998.

It is also believed that Mr Irving has been supported by
the German People's Union, an anti-Semitic party. For ten
years, until he was banned from Germany in 1993, he had a
close relationship with the GPU leader Gerhard Frey,
a wealthy publisher.

Mr Irving has been a "star speaker" at revisionist
conferences organised by Ewald Althans, named in
court as a leading neo-nazi in Munich who sells and
distributes the historian's books, videos and cassettes.

One independent name with far-right links who has been
associated repeatedly with Mr Irving is David Duke, a
former Ku Klux Klansman who is now a chairman of the New
Orleans-based National Organisation For European American
Rights (NOFEAR). He is known to be one of Mr Irving's
admirers.

Mike Whine, of the Board
of Deputies, said he believed that Mr Duke had either
directly or indirectly supported Mr Irving. "He will have
introduced a lot of people to him for fundraising
purposes over the last four or five years," he
said.

Vince Edwards, Mr Duke's administrative assistant
and NOFEAR's media co-ordinator, said yesterday that he was
disappointed, but not surprised, by the judgment. He said
that Mr Duke had been "supportive" of Mr Irving. Commenting
on the judge's decision, Mr Edwards said: "I was extremely
disheartened but I couldn't have imagined what the judge
would find in his favour. The way the system worked, he
would probably have found himself out of a job. You can
imagine if the judge had sided with Irving, what the Jewish
Board of Deputies would have done to his family. There would
have been a campaign aginst him."

He added: "I think it is a disaster, but hopefully he can
appeal."

Mr Edwards said that the two men had met but were not
"intimate" friends. "David is just supportive," he said.

Mr Edwards did not believe that Mr Duke had given Mr
Irving financial support.

The historian's website lays
out payment options for potential contributors who may
"mail a personal cheque", "mail cash in an envelope", "make
a bank transfer" or "simply use your credit card". The
payment, it adds, will appear on the card as "History
Bookshop".